Chicago Bears Seventh-Round Rookie Daniel Braverman is Impact Player
The Chicago Bears had an incredible showing in the 2016 NFL Draft, with their seventh-round selection of WR Daniel Braverman being one of the best picks.
In his second draft as general manager of the Chicago Bears, Ryan Pace came away with a ton of talent. Not only star pass rusher Leonard Floyd in the first-round, and strong and stable offensive lineman Cody Whitehair in the second, Pace and company did an incredible job of finding impact talent throughout this entire draft process.
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Their haul that should help shape the Bears’ roster going forward was capped off by an incredible selection in the seventh-round. With the 230th overall selection, the Chicago Bears absolutely stole wide receiver Daniel Braverman.
On the surface, I understand why Braverman was still available in the seventh-round. A 5-foot-10, 177 pound receiver from Western Michigan with less than impressive athleticism is not going to create much buzz around the league. That being said, the NFL scouts missed this one as all you have to do is go to the tape and see how much of an impact player Braverman can be.
Braverman left Western Michigan a year early to chase his NFL dreams. After a 2015 season where he hauled in 105 receptions for 1,367 yards and 13 touchdowns, Braverman thought he proved as much as he needed to NFL scouts. While the seventh-round selection suggests otherwise, Braverman will let his ability on the field prove it.
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I am sold on the slot receiver after going back and watching two games of Braverman against Big Ten competition. The first was his 13-catch, 109-yard performance against Michigan State to kick off the 2015 season. Braverman was a reliable target for his team, making plays all over the field. The second game I watched was Braverman putting up 10 receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown against the then defending National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes.
Braverman does not show elite-level straight-line speed, but he is an incredibly quick receiver who shows fantastic change of direction skills. Braverman is an absolute menace in the slot, showing a knack for getting open in the short to intermediate passing game.
One thing that stood out most to me on tape was Braverman’s ability to make plays on third down. He has a strong nose for the first-down marker, and seems to especially come up big when his team needed it the most.
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Western Michigan used quick screens a lot to showcase Braverman’s ability to make defenders miss. While these were not always the most productive plays against the elite-level Big Ten defenses, there were a few times where Braverman made a quick move and picked up yardage that he really had not business getting. I can see these plays working more for Braverman at the next level, as NFL defenses are not paying as much attention to him.
However, the most exciting part of Braverman’s game is his ability to find open space in the defense. I know the comparison is overused, but it really reminded me of watching Julian Edelman with the New England Patriots. Braverman does not have Edelman’s elite route-running ability in the Patriots’ complex scheme, but his ability to find open space and make the play in the slot is impressive.
Could the Bears have just unearthed the next great NFL slot receiver? It is certainly too early to say something like that, but I have really liked what I have seen out of Braverman. He is a hard-working player who has the skills to succeed out of the slot. Lining up inside while Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White receive a ton of attention on the outside, Braverman will have an opportunity to make an impact with the Bears.
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The odds are against Braverman as a seventh-round pick, but they were also against Edelman as a seventh-round pick in 2009 and Wes Welker as an undrafted player in 2004. You just never know.